NQV Media’s ‘The Male Gaze’ series always brings together interesting shorts that might otherwise pass by the casual viewer. Spotlighting film-makers from around the globe, the series has delivered top quality shorts on a variety of topics, giving a rounded view of what it’s like to be a gay person in the modern world. The newest collection – ‘The Male Gaze: Heavenly Creatures’ – is themed around faith and desire, and it features stories from France, Ivory Coast and Spain.
‘The Male Gaze: Heavenly Creatures’ opens with ‘The Vice of Buggery’, from director Rēmi Giordano. Set in 1575 the short focuses on King Henri de Valois (Stefan Crepon), who has his eye set on a man who spurned his advances. The short is sexually-charged and Henri’s actions most definitely cross a line, but it’s a fun watch that reimagines a historical figure through a modern lens. It’s also one of the stronger shorts on this release.
Stéphane Olijnyk’s ‘Chameleon’ is next up, and it’s a tale of forbidden love between a young gay Muslim and his ‘straight’ lover. Ali (Franck O’Neil) attends the wedding of Saint (Cédric Djédjé) determined to keep their secret relationship hidden but one of the wedding guests realises the two men are sleeping together. That results in Ali being blackmailed so that his secret doesn’t come out, and that in turn causes problems with Saint. This is a complicated situation and the short highlights the plight of those gay men living in societies where they aren’t able to freely be themselves.
‘The Martyr’ from Alejandro Mathé is one of the more unusual shorts on the collection. Teenager Elias (Rafa Sambruno) finds himself turned on by statues of Jesus, and he begins exploring his sexuality by pleasuring himself when he sees one. What seems to be an innocuous obsession soon turns much darker as Elias descends into sado-masochism with the help of a handsome young man he becomes intimate with. The short is quite disturbing in parts, and definitely not the easiest to watch from the four here.
The collection comes to a close with ‘The Passion According to Karim’ from director Axel Würsten. In this film, a scout troop decides to enact the Crucifixion of Christ in a remote village. Karim (Arman Saibi) has been case as Jesus and for his research, he enlists fellow Scout Pierre-Marie (Pierre Gomme) to help him experience the ecstasy experience by Jesus. I did find this short a little bit on the silly side, but it’s essentially a tale of teenage boys experimenting and discovering their sexuality.
‘The Male Gaze: Heavenly Creatures’ certainly explores some interesting topics and taboo subjects. The film-makers featured here are all pushing the envelope of what’s perceived as acceptable, and they showcase some extreme examples of what being a gay young man is like. The collection is definitely not for those who have a religious leaning, but those who aren’t afraid to tackle taboo subject matter will find plenty to enjoy.
Cast: Stefan Cepon, Cyril Metzger, Franck O’Neil, Eebra Tooré, Cédric Djédjé, Rafa Sambruno, Alberto Lopez Ballesteros, Lena Rodriguz, Arman Saibi, Pierre Gommé, Léonard Pauchon, Emmanuelle Bougerol, Axel Würsten Directors: Rēmi Giordano, Stéphane Olijnyk, Alejandro Mathé, Axel Würsten Certificate: 15 Duration: 105 mins Released by: NQV Media Release date: 24th November 2025
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